Method of making tobacco distillate adapted to treat cigarette paper



United States Patent METHOD OF MAKING TOBACCO DISTILLATE ADAPTED T0 TREAT CIGARETTE PAPER Miguel Miquel y Merino, Havana, Cuba, assiguor to Papel Para Cigarros, S. A., Havana, Cuba Application February '7, 1955, Serial No. 486,709

4 Claims. (Cl. 131 143) No Drawing.

for preparing this extract.

The cigarette industry has for many years been concerned with improving the quality of the finished cigarette product by such methods as improved blending, making the cut tobacco powderless, and adding syrups to aifect the taste. However, as the art has developed, very little attention has been directed to improving or masking the taste qualities of the cigarette paper covering itself. The cigarette paper has in the past performed no other function than as a mere container for the cut tobacco.

A representative showing of the United States patent art designed for use with cigarette wrappers is shown in the following: No. 50,038-Roffee, issued September 10, 1865; No. 189,182-Broseker, issued April 3, 1877; No. 217,767B01les, issued July 22, 1879; No. 1,008,730- Rodenhausen, issued November 14, 1911.

In contradistinction, the present invention deals with a novel distillation process conducted at ordinary atmospheric pressure and resulting distillate suitable for use with cigarette papers. By means of critical process limitations a distillate has been produced by means which it is possible to alter or correct the bitter taste produced by the cigarette paper in burning. In other words, by means of the present invention it is possible to produce cigarette paper with much less paper taste and more pure tobacco taste.

By means of the distillate of the present invention it is also possible to vary or alter the qualities of the finished cigarette by using the right proportion between the varieties of tobacco filler used and the concentrations of distillate applied to the paper itself. In this way a mild tasting variety of tobacco may be used in combination with a paper containing a high concentration of tobacco distillate, and a strong type of tobacco filler may be used with a low concentration of distillate in the paper. Also, the properties of the extract itself may be altered by using different types of tobacco in its preparation.

It is an object of this invention to provide a novel distillation process for preparing a tobacco distillate for use with cigarette papers.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a method of treating cigarette paper with a novel tobacco distillate.

The process and product of this invention have utility in the'treatment of papers used in the cigarette industry.

The following examples illustrate the novel process and distillate of the present invention but are not to be construed as limiting the same:

Example I A starting material mixture of by weight of tobacco leaves and 90% by weight of water was placed in a 30 gallon capacity stainless steel still of a standard batch design filling the same. Distillation was commenced and carried out at the rate of 4 gallons per hour or at a rate such that about A of the starting material passed over the distillate per hour. Distillation was stopped when about 45% by weight of the starting material had passed through the still. In this manner the desired volatiles were obtained to the exclusion of bad tasting impurities.

Analysis of the resulting water-tobacco distillate product revealed a dissolved matter concentration of 400 parts per million or 0.04% by weight. This dissolved matter consisted of a complicated chemical mixture which may be formed largely by the desired volatiles.

Weaker distillate concentrations of 0.02% and 0.01 by weight of dissolved matters were prepared from the above by adding equal parts of water and three parts of water to one part of the 0.04% distillate above.

Example II Cigarette paper was impregnated with a 0.02% distillate obtained by the process of Example I. The impregnation was carried out in a standard machine of the type conventionally used for the addition to the paper of nitrates, phosphates, saccharin and other substances. Alternatively, the impregnation may be carried out by a conventional press located in a position just before the last drying cylinders of a paper making machine.

The cigarette paper absorbed approximately one kilogram of distillate per kilogram of paper and the distillate had a specific gravity near one. Thus a treated cigarette paper was obtained containing 0.02% of dissolved matter extracted from the tobacco leaves.

Additional experiments showed that the optimum results for pleasant and smooth tasting paper were attained when the treated paper contained approximately 0.02% of dissolved matter by weight. It was further noticed that below 0.01% the effects were diific-ult to notice and that above 0.04% the paper was too strong tasting.

Various modifications may be made in this invention without departing from the spirit or scope thereof and it is to be understood that the invention is to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

Therefore I claim:

1. A process for preparing a tobacco distillate useful in treating cigarette paper which comprises distilling a water-tobacco starting material at a rate per hour wherein the ratio of distillate to starting material is about 1 to 8, and stopping the distillation when approximately /2 the starting material has passed over as distillate.

2. A process according to claim 1 wherein the distillation is stopped when approximately 45% of the starting material has passed over as distillate.

3. A process for preparing a tobacco distillate useful for treating cigarette paper which comprises distilling a mixture of 10% tobacco and water at a rate suflicient to obtain of the mixture as distillate per hour, stopping the distillation after about /2 of the starting material has passed over as distillate, and recovering the distillate.

4. A process according to claim 3 wherein the distillation is stopped after about 45% of the starting material has passed over as distillate.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 21,558 Durell Sept. 21, 1858 26,594 Jaques Dec. 27, 1859 FOREIGN PATENTS 319,846 Germany Apr. 6, 1920 

1. A PROCESS FOR PREPARING A TOBACO DISTILLATE USEFUL IN TREATING CIGARETTE PAPER WHICH COMPRISES DISTILLING A WATER-TOBACO STARTING MATERIAL AT A RATE PER HOUR WHEREIN THE RATIO OF DISTILLATE TO STARTING MATERIAL IS ABOUT 1 TO 8, AND STOPING THE DISTILLATION WHEN APPROXIMATELY 1/2 THE STARTING MATERIAL HAS PASSED OVER AS DISTILLATE. 